China has begun its second day of military drills targeting Taiwan, in what it says is punishment for “separatist acts” after the inauguration of its new president on Monday.
The exercises, which involve Chinese military units from the air force, rocket force, navy, army, and coast guard, were announced suddenly on Thursday morning, with maps showing five approximate target areas in the sea surrounding Taiwan’s main island. Other areas also targeted Taiwan’s offshore islands, which are close to the Chinese mainland.
China’s defence ministry said the drills on Friday were testing its military’s ability to “seize power” and occupy key areas, in line with Beijing’s ultimate goal of annexing Taiwan. Taiwan’s government and people reject the prospect of Chinese rule, but China’s ruler Xi Jinping has not renounced the use of force to take the island. Western intelligence has claimed Xi has told the People’s Liberation Army to be capable of an invasion by 2027.
ill remind you the us has been threatening to interfere here even though they recognized taiwan is part of china in the 70s (and reiterated it a couple of times).
this doesnt need to turn uglier than it is.
It’s not the US manning the air defenses that keep the Chinese jets at bay.
it actually is, if you consider all the us-controlled military bases in the area (even in vietnam!). also their military drills that are always suspiciously close.
It actually isn’t. The Taiwanese are the ones keeping the CCP out. The Taiwanese government is democratically elected, the soldiers are Taiwanese, the people manning the dfenses are Taiwanese. That might be inconvenient for your narrative but it’s the simple, obvious reality.
If Taiwan wanted to be part of the CCP’s empire they would’ve joined already.